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As I have mentioned time after time this year, motion pictures have never been so disappointing as they have in 2009.

So, after searching so hard for those few little gems; I finally seem to have found with no doubt one of the Best Films of the year. This very well done piece of work has been brought to us by Quentin Tarantino, one of the masters of modern-day U.S. film making, and whose work couldn’t have come at a better time. The film isInglourious Basterds.

In the first clip, Colonel Hans Lander (played brilliantly by Christoph Waltz) – aka “The Jew Hunter” – faces the French farmer Monsieur LaPadite (Denis Menochet) in his cottage and explains his twisted theory why Jews are like ‘rats’…which gives the viewer what they’re in for. The film begins with a high degree of sophisticated style and maturity to the point that we find ourselves reading subtitles without losing any interest, as the suspense of what’s about to happen keeps the audience perked up. By the time the film was over, we heard the characters speak English, French, Italian and German, and the one who did the most impressive job mastering all these languages was Christoph Waltz.

I was very impressed by the solid maturity, degree of suspense, elegant and artistic shots and angles throughout the film that made it perhaps one of Tarantino’s most accomplished and serious work to date. Of course there are hints of the director’s trademark throughout the film, and that is the over indulgence of music, which in most cases works, but in this one it become a bit distracting and out-of-place. For example, the usage of David Bowie’s awesome “Cat People” in a pivotal scene in which the soundtrack got in the way; similarly, Tarantino’s incredibly distracting casting choice of having Mike Meyers on playing a serious character that wasn’t very effective because it’s hard to take him seriously, as his normally a clown. Also, having Brad Pitt on board was a bit unnecessary for the story I thought, but I understand why the choice, as he’s a huge box office draw, as the film brought in some decent results in box office thanks to him. The rest of the film’s casting on the other hand was impeccable, starting with Christoph Waltz, who deserves an Oscar for his powerhouse performance!

The delectable Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa. This guy is an amazing and wonderful oozer of charisma, menace, and sociopathic charm. From his first scene, in a farmhouse in France, to his last, Waltz is a riveting character and a sublime bit of casting.

Nevertheless, these are such small things that are typical of Tarantino that are almost insignificant, as the picture overall has some many good things going that outweigh these minor distractions.

Tarantino pulls out a strong, tension-filled WWII movie draped on an alternative universe full of revenge and fantasy that is divided in three chapters which are more and more suspenseful as time progresses. The plot revolves around a ”Jew Hunter”, a Jewish cinema owner, a Nazi hero infatuated with her, a British infiltration, and a film premiere where it all culminates brilliantly. One forgets, with all the French, German, bit of Italian and English over 153 minutes, that you’re watching a Hollywood movie at all, if felt very European or a grown-up film by a master American Filmmaker like Robert Altman or something. The Film is that GREAT!

I must warn you that the violence in the film is a bit extreme, but necessary to make the point Tarantino is trying to make. It’s also not to be taken very seriously, as dark comedy is infused throughout in a very clever way.

I won’t tell you anymore about this awesome flick and will let you go find out the rest yourself. Rush to the theater to go see it…and if you can’t find it playing near you anymore, stay tuned, as there will be a strong Oscar push come awards season and will be brought back to theaters nationwide.